Karl,i have a problem with my back which iv'e had for years,humping gear around caused it!!and the bass was a earlier model as you know,they are alot heavier then the new ones,and it just was a real problem for me to gig with it,i don't collect basses,so from my point of view i thought i would let him go and be used by someone else didn't want to part with him really,but if i can't use him then what's the point,i'm sure you will understand my motives now,all the best,Julian.

You're right, of course - these beauties are made to be played, not just admired from afar. Respect to you for appreciating that and giving somebody else the chance to play her - I've never understood the cult of collecting musical instruments . . . I just bought a beautiful 20th Anniversay Stingray on ebay: when it arrived I realised pretty quick that it had never been played - no fret wear, not a mark on it, no fingerprints even!! Needless to say, I'm going to be playing it a lot . . . sometimes my back needs a break from an Alembic, too.

By the way, if you're looking for something small and light with a nice Alembic-ish hi-fi sound, you might like to try a Status Kingbass (www.status-graphite.com) - I've been very impressed with mine, and it's great for the smaller gigs where you fear you might knock the headstock of a bigger bass or just can't stand the thought of lugging the big old Alembic out.